The British Boels Dolmans team rider was also awarded the Yellow Jersey as race leader and was also awarded the Adnams Best British Rider jersey.

She said: “Going into this our plan was that I would jump across on a certain climb. We knew Ashleigh Moolman (Pasio) will be aggressive and she’s got a kick and we expected her to launch an attack but I had the perfect lead-out from Elena (Van Dijk) and Christine (Marjerus).

“I didn’t follow the attack initially because I knew I would blow up. People’s advice was that this was along steep climb and it was a slog to get to the break away and when I arrived Chantelle (Blaak) did some work and then I worked to bring the girls in the race back.

“It would be nice to hold onto the Yellow Jersey and I think the next two days is going to be hard and the final day will probably involve a sprint.”

Moolman Pasio finished second and Elisa Longo Borghini took third place.

The Queen of the Mountains went to Katie Hall and the sprinters’ Points Jersey went to Marianne Vos.

The race split about an hour before it reached the finish with 11 riders pulling away in a break away group which was three minutes from the peloton but Armitstead won Stage 3 with a fantastic sprint over the cobbles in Chesterfield leaving the main group some distance back.

Much was made of the steep Bank Road, at Matlock, which may have proved a pivotal point for Stage 3.

Stage 4, is on Saturday, June 18, is from Nottingham to Stoke-on-Trent, and includes southern Derbyshire and the Peak District, before the final Stage 5, on Sunday, June 19, from Northampton to Kettering.